The Dean's Fund

An important resource for the iSchool are the contributions to the Dean's Fund that provide the Dean with discretionary dollars she administers for the College. The Dean may use these funds to support academic programs, fund student research and activities, purchase new equipment and upgrade facilities, and allow us to meet our obligation of educational excellence. By making a gift to the Dean’s Fund you are assured that your gift is being used to support the immediate and vital needs of the College.

Support for Students Scholarships

Scholarships play an important role in our attracting and enrolling the most talented students. Today, when making the decision to obtain a master’s degree, prospective students consider the amount of financial assistance available to them and areas of concentration that receive support. To remain competitive with other prestigious institutions and assist students working to obtain their MLS, MIM and HCIM degrees, we must grow existing scholarships and establish new ones.  

Current scholarships available are: Mary Lee Bundy Scholarship for students looking to enter public librarianship; Myra Wilson Scholarship for students looking to enter law, international or public librarianship;  Library Systems and Services Scholarship awarded to a part-time student; Library and Information Services Alumni Scholarship for MLS students; and the MIM Alumni Scholarship for MIM students.

Student travel to conferences is also a priority for our College. Academic and professional conferences allow students to attend lectures and workshops from industry leaders, present their research, network with their soon-to-be colleagues and learn about the important issues facing the profession. You can support the travel of students to yearly conferences with a gift to Beyond These Walls: Student Travel and Research Fund.

Support for Faculty

To produce the best quality graduates, we must have the best quality faculty. One of our top priorities is to attract and retain faculty who are at the forefront in their respective fields. We must develop the resources to create the endowed professorships and chairs that bring leading teachers and researchers to Maryland. Over the last few years we have increased our faculty to over 30 full-time professors. Named faculty positions will greatly enable our ability to continue to add distinguished academics to our ranks.  

Research

The iSchool’s research activities are shaping information management in the 2lst century. As part of a nationally known research university, the iSchool must ensure its students and faculty members have the resources necessary to conduct the research that leads to new discoveries and positively impacts our world. Key centers such as the Information Policy and Access Center (iPAC), Center for Advanced Study of Communities and Information (CASCI ) and the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory (HCIL)  promote and disseminate knowledge and affect information policy. This work requires start-of-the art facilities so we can continue to provide a superb teaching and research environment.